Innovation in the ordinary

Have you ever felt stuck? Have you ever wanted a new idea SO badly that the pressure made you shut down?

Have you ever felt as though you'd lost every fiber of creativity?

Creativity is the author of innovation; when creativity dries up, it's hard to think, or see, or DO "different."

When I find myself at an innovation roadblock, I go back to a couple of  books and dust off habits that have been the best sources of jump-starting my creative wheels. I usually begin with either The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron or  The Creative Habit by Twila Tharp. In my last flip through Tharp's book, I was struck by this comment:

“Everything is raw material. Everything is relevant. Everything is usable. Everything feeds into my creativity. But without proper preparation, I cannot see it, retain it, and use it.”

If you're like I am, you balk at the idea that EVERYTHING is usable.

Sure, there's plenty of raw material, and if you want to say "most things" are usable, I might bite, but EVERYTHING?? Nah...

However, my skepticism doesn't last when I pay attention to how others find the spectacular in the ordinary. The video below is a perfect example of innovation using the ordinary. This filmmaker does amazing things with an umbrella.

This may be my favorite minute of the day.  Click on Full Screen and enjoy!

Now take a look around and see how EVERYTHING - ANYTHING can be relevant and usable.